The Chronicle, No. 669, January 2016

24 ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE

Creativity, Action, Service

At the end of August, 40 Lower Sixth IB pupils returned early from their summer holidays. This large group (the biggest IB intake the School has ever had) spent three days in a beautiful conference centre near Monmouth. The purpose of the trip was to learn about CAS - creativity, activity and service - which form a central part of the IB Diploma. They braved a high ropes course at Head 4 Heights, created unusual and rather striking Land Art (pictured) inspired by the work of artists such as Andy Goldsworthy and had a wonderful day making films with the Young Film Academy. Below are brief reports from some of the pupils involved: ‘At Head 4 Heights, the first activity was a simple game of Splat! This gave us the opportunity to get to know each other before we began the more challenging activities. Next we were encouraged to climb poles of varying heights. The aim of the climb was to touch the top of the pole and collect points for our team. We then moved on to the terrifyingly unstable ‘Jacob’s Ladder’. Our team got to about half way up and then helped each other reach the same level. Another activity included climbing a stable metal pole, standing on a surface at the top – and jumping down on the count of three. The jump was thrilling and fortunately safe thanks to a fan, tied to our ropes, which slowed us down as we descended.’ Anamika Pillai ( Sir James Henderson British School, Milan ). Trading Places Our time at Teddies was a period we will remember forever. We made life- long friends, saw amazing sights and had the time of our lives; we could not have asked for anything more from the pupils, teachers, HMs and many more. Our adventures took us from the JCR to the London Eye, from the IB to a Liverpool football game - and everything

‘Our CAS trip was filled with lots of exciting activities; whether it was film making, high ropes, or team building activities, we always had something to look forward to. We were also given a very informative presentation about the CAS part of IB, which was very comforting as many of us were slightly apprehensive about moving forward into the next stage of our lives. One of the best things about the trip was that everyone on the IB trip got to bond - the new pupils got to make friends, and even people who had been at Teddies for a long time got to bond with people who they didn’t usually speak to. It was a really enjoyable trip, with lots of great opportunities. We left with the IB cohort feeling very supportive of each other and looking forward to starting the course.’ Katy MacCrindle ( Swanbourne House ).

‘On the third day, we worked with a filmmaker representing the Young Film Academy. He was really helpful in teaching us how to handle our cameras to get the emotional impact we desired through shots like close ups, wide shots and mid shots. After creating a three shot practice film to familiarise ourselves with shooting we learnt the key plot components of any good script. Then we began making our ten shot silent film, choosing our roles and making key decisions about the film. I feel I made some new friends and that we all contributed and worked collaboratively. Overall it was a fun day and it was a good experience.’ Aleks Elezovic ( Fulham Prep ).

in between. The experiences we enjoyed – at Teddies and in England – are ones we will always treasure. We look forward to welcoming our exchange partners, Isabella Watson ( St Swithun’s ) and Dan Brady ( The Warriner ) when they come to Australia in the summer. Emma Jackson and Sean Olsen from Goulburn Valley Grammar School in Shepparton, Victoria, Australia.